Micro-Volunteering Builds Loyalty at Events

By: Joe Rominiecki

Peggy Hoffman, CAE, shares how associations can get members involved in simple jobs to both make an event run smoothly and give volunteers a sense of ownership.

There's a lot to do to make an event run smoothly. Some of that work can be turned over to the attendees themselves. Peggy Hoffman, CAE, president of Mariner Management and Marketing, earns loyalty among members of associations that Mariner manages by enlisting them for "micro-volunteer" roles.

Hoffman defines these ad hoc roles as those "in which a person has a very time-constrained, very focused responsibility." Volunteers feel involved without being asked to go out of their way. The appeal is simple, Hoffman says: "Hey, you're coming to the event. Would you like to get involved as long as you're going to be there?"